FORSAN — Robert Hillger is hoping youth will be served at next week's Region I-2A track meet.

That's because Hillger, the girls' track coach at Forsan High School, will send a team dominated by freshmen — five of the eight team members who qualified for regionals are freshmen.

But just because the team is younger doesn't mean it isn't ready to compete at a high level.

“The quality here is much deeper than I've ever had,” said Hillger, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the program. “We don't have a few athletes who contribute — they're all pretty good.”

FORSAN — Robert Hillger is hoping youth will be served at next week's Region I-2A track meet.

That's because Hillger, the girls' track coach at Forsan High School, will send a team dominated by freshmen — five of the eight team members who qualified for regionals are freshmen.

But just because the team is younger doesn't mean it isn't ready to compete at a high level.

“The quality here is much deeper than I've ever had,” said Hillger, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the program. “We don't have a few athletes who contribute — they're all pretty good.”

All is not rosy for the team, however. Hurdler Ambra Hill and Raegan Haggard, one of the relay mainstays who also competes in the triple jump and 400-meter run, are battling injuries and their status for next week's regional meet is uncertain.

For Hill, who Hillger said is one of the most competitive athletes he's ever coached, being on the sidelines is excruciating.

“You don't really know how bad you want to run until you can't,” said Hill, who medaled in both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles at last year's state track meet. “It's killing me not to be able to practice … but it's getting better and it'll be good, I think.”

Stanley said the freshmen have made major contributions to the team's success this year.

“They really stepped up and played their roles well,” Stanley. “It really hasn't been difficult at all.

Stanley qualified for the regional meet her freshman year and says she has a greater appreciation for the feat now that her high school career is drawing to a close.

“There's a sense of urgency,” she said. “When I made regionals as a freshman, I was like, 'Oh my God, I made regionals!' I was just so happy to have made it … Now that I'm a senior, it's more like, 'I have to advance, because this is my last shot.'”

The Region I-2A meet will be held Monday and Tuesday at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa.